vacations aren't always great
by weirdo1984
Summary: The gang goes to a cabin for a vacation
1. Chapter 1

Title: Vacations aren't always great

Author: weirdo1984

Disclaimer: I own none, all belong to Joss Whedon  
Comments: Always welcomed!

Summary: The gang goes to a cabin for a vacation

Warnings/Spoilers: none

Chapter 1

Willow, Angel, Buffy, Xander, Cordelia and Spike all went up to the woods. Willow's uncle owned a cabin up there and Giles had decided they all needed a break. So they were spending two weeks there. They were all excited to get away from the hell mouth.

There was a lake not far from the cabin, so they could go swimming at night. Everyone got set up in their rooms. Buffy and Xander shared a room as did Cordelia and Spike and Angel and Willow.

Angel and Willow got together seven months. Spike and Cordelia started seeing each other three months ago and Buffy and Xander just had their one year anniversary.

"So what do you guys think?" Willow asked sitting on one of the chairs.

"It's so peacefully here. I like it." Buffy grinned flopping on the couch.

"Me too," Cordelia agreed snuggling against Spike.

"I used to come up here all the time. I loved it here." Willow replied looking around.

"Why did you stop coming up?" Spike asked playing with Cordy's hair.

"Life," Willow laughed, "We met Buffy and our lives changed. Not that it was a bad thing. I mean if we hadn't Buffy and Xander wound never have gotten together. Spike never would have tried killing us and getting his soul mate Cordelia and I never would have met Angel." Angel leaned down and kissed her.

"You know only in our lives would that ever be a good thing." Xander said rolling his eyes.

"Yeah well I wouldn't change it for anything in this world." Angel said nuzzling Willow's neck.

"So what do we want to do?" Willow asked smiling at Angel.

"I say we play hide and seek. Yeah it's juvenile but hey it's just us. I say we act like children." Xander suggested looking at the group.

"Sounds good to me," Cordelia agreed.

"Ok you can hide anywhere outside, the cabin is too small to find a decent hiding place." Willow said standing.

"Who wants to be it?" Buffy asked.

"Me." Spike smirked, "when I was a kid I was always best at this."

"We'll see old man." Cordy smiled.

"Let's go." Xander said as they head outside except for Spike who stayed inside to count to one hundred.

Willow knew a secret cave she used to play in. She knew Spike was already looking for them. Willow walked around to the front of the cave, and stopped in her tracks. There was a man eating someone and he wasn't a vampire Willow knew that for sure. She screamed making the man look at her and then stood. Willow turned back the way she had come and ran. She looked back and ran into someone causing her to scream again.

"Willow it's me." Angel said softly, "What's wrong?"

"I saw…" Willow couldn't finish the sentence she was shaking so much.

"Hey what's going on?" Xander asked running to them everyone behind him.

"Willow, are you alright?" Cordelia asked worriedly.

"Over there." Willow said taking Angel's hand pulling him towards the cave. "What they were right here." she looked around trying to find the man and body.

"What was here?" Spike asked looking around.

"There was this guy eating someone." Willow answered.

"Willow there is nothing here. You just imagined it." Buffy replied.

"No I saw him. It's true he does exist." Willow whispered.

"What are you talking about?" Angel asked confused looking at her.

"My uncle used to tell me stories about a man lived in these woods. He never comes out during the day. Not many people know about him. Visitors would walk around at night, and he'd catch them and eat them. I mean they were still alive while he did this. I always thought my uncle was trying to scare me, but it's true." Willow said her voice shaky.

"Willow it's not real. You thought you saw him or something. There is nothing here that would even make us think anyone was here." Xander replied looking at the ground.

"I saw it." Willow insisted.

"You probably remembered the stories your uncle told you, and it made you think you saw it." Angel reasoned.

Willow knew what she saw, the stories were real. She didn't understand why her friends didn't believe her. Turning she started her way back to the cabin. She wasn't going to stay out there. Angel wrapped his arm around her waist, but she refused to look at him. If Buffy had seen it they all would have believed her. Why not believe her?

Willow was lying in bed with Angel he held her close as he slept. It was usually comforting for her but not tonight. She couldn't get that picture out of her head.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next week was quiet no one saw anything out of the ordinary. The redhead started to believe she had just imagined it all. That was until she saw Buffy run back into the cabin panting and looking pale.

"Buffy what's wrong?" Xander asked walking to his girlfriend.

"I saw him." Buffy panted looking at the group.

"Saw who?" Spike questioned.

"They guy Willow saw the first night we were here. I saw him he was eating." Buffy swallowed hard.

"Oh God," Cordelia said covering her mouth.

"Where did you see him?" Angel asked.

"Out in the woods I was taking a walk and saw him. He didn't see me though. I didn't know what to do. I mean he's not a demon." Buffy replied finally being able to breathe easily.

"We better go find him." Xander stated.

"What?" Willow yelled making everyone jump. Yeah she was pissed they didn't believe her, but yup here come Buffy the 'chosen one' telling them the exact same story and they all believe her.

"Red?" Spike asked.

"You believe her," Willow said pointing to the slayer. "When she tells to she saw him, but when I told you I saw him it was 'no you imagined it.' nice."

"Willow it's just we didn't think a human would do that." Buffy explained looking at the redhead.

"Whatever. You guys go find him and kill him or whatever you are going to do. I am going to bed." Willow said and turned around and went to her and Angel's room. She was so angry that none of them had believed her not even Angel.

Willow woke when she heard Angel walk in. "So did you find him?" Willow asked coldly.

"No we looked everywhere, but there was no sign of him." Angel replied climbing into bed and pulling Willow close. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

"Why didn't you? You guys all made me sound like I was crazy." Willow said not being able to hide the hurt from her voice.

"I'm sorry baby. I just didn't think a human could do that. I guess we all thought it would be better if we said you just imagined it. We are all sorry." Angel said kissing the top of her head.

"I know you are." Willow said turning around and kissed him, "Make it up to me?" she wiggled her eyebrows.

"Oh yeah," Angel smiled and kissed her.

Willow woke later from a noise. She got out of bed and opened the bedroom curtains, and screamed when she saw the man from the woods sitting there watching her. He then stood and walked back into the woods.

Angel shot up when he heard Willow scream, "Willow?"

"He was outside." Willow said pointing to the window.

Angel stood and walked over looking out the window, "Which way did he go?" Angel asked.

"Back into the woods," Willow answered.

There was a knock at the door making Willow scream again.

"Hey what's going on in there? Are you guys ok?" Buffy called through the door.

Angel went and opened it seeing everyone standing there. "The guy from the woods was standing out side the window." Angel replied.

"What was he doing?" Cordelia asked.

"He was just sitting there watching when I opened the curtains." Willow said, "Then he stood up and walked back into the woods."

"I think we should get out of here." Xander declared.

"Yeah we don't know where this guy is we looked for hours and never even spotted the bloody bloke." Spike agreed.

"Pack up we leave in twenty." Angel ordered.

They pulled up to Giles's apartment an hour and a half later. Willow was still shaking. They knocked on the door and a few minutes later a very sleepy Giles answered.

"What are you all doing here? You still have a few days off." Giles said rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Giles there was this guy in the woods and he was eating people. Willow saw him the first night we were there, but we all thought she imagined it, but then Buffy saw him tonight. We went looking for him but didn't find a trace that he was even around. Then Willow woke up and he was sitting outside her and Angel's bedroom window he was just sitting there then he got up and walked back into the woods." Xander elucidated looking at the ex-watcher.

"My word," Giles replied sitting heavily in the chair.

"I didn't know what to do when I saw him. I mean he's human. How can we tell the police? They will think we are completely insane!" Buffy stated.

"Are you sure you saw what you saw?" Giles asked looking at the group.

"Why does everyone keep asking that?" Willow grumbled.

"It's just if this was happening there would be a lot of missing people's reports, and I haven't seen or heard of anything about that." Giles clarified.

"How is that possible?" Cordelia asked.

"You think I never really saw the guy and Buffy thought she saw him because I told her don't you?" Willow sighed.

"I'm afraid so. I think living on the hell mouth had made us all a little jumpy." Giles answered.

"Ugh." Willow said sitting on the couch.

"Why don't you all go home and get a good night sleep." Giles suggested.

"Yeah," Cordelia agreed.

Everyone went back to their homes.

Willow and Angel were lying in Angel's bed. She was still awake she couldn't believe it had just been her imagination. She snuggled closer to Angel and fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A few weeks past since the gang returned to from their vacation, and things went back to normal research and patrolling.

"Hey guys my parents are in town and I need to go over and let them know I am still alive." Willow said rolling her eyes, "I'll meet you at Giles's."

"Sure Wills, be careful on your way over." Buffy replied.

"I will." Willow promised and left to see her parents. When she got home she saw the front door open. She grabbed her stake from her coat pocket in case her parents accidentally invited a vampire in and walked in.

"Mom? Dad?" Willow called. She heard a weak cry and headed upstairs into her parents room.

What she saw almost made her vomit. The guy from the woods was eating her mom. She saw her dad already dead. Willow grabbed a coat stand and hit him with it knocking him off of her mom. The guy looked at her and jumped knocking her to the floor, and she swung it again knocking him unconscious. She jumped up to check on her mom, but it was too late she was already dead.

"No." Willow whispered and ran out of the room and down the stairs and out the door, tears streaming down her face. She looked down and saw a bite mark on her arm. She saw Giles's place up ahead and ran faster and barged in. everyone looked up when she entered.

"He's here." Willow cried.

"Who's here?" Giles asked standing.

"T-the guy from the woods," Willow stuttered.

"Willow he wasn't real." Xander reminded looking at his best friend.

"Tell that to my parents!" Willow screamed.

"What?" Angel asked walking to stand beside her

.

"I got there and the… the door was open. I… I thought maybe they invited a vampire in because they never leave it open. I grabbed my stake and… and walked in and called for them. I… I heard a muffled cry, so I went upstairs to their room. Da... Dad was already dead, and I grabbed the coat rack and hit him with it knocking him away from my mom. He jumped up and bit me. See?" Willow held up her arm. "There both dead."

"Willow where is he?" Buffy asked trying to remain calm.

"I knocked him out. Then I ran." Willow replied shakily. Angel wrapped his arms around her.

"Uh… ok I am going to take Spike with me and we're going to go and check it out. You guys stay here." Buffy instructed.

Willow sat on Angel's lap crying. He rocked her back and forth rubbing circles on her back.

Spike and Buffy walked in half an hour later and Willow lifted her head.

"Well? Was he there?" Willow asked.

Spike and Buffy exchanged glances.

"No one was there." Buffy finally replied.

"What do you mean no one was there?" Willow asked looking at the two blondes.

"No one your parents weren't even there and not the guy from the woods. There was no sign that anyone had been there." Spike said.

"That's not possible I saw him he bit me!" Willow repeated herself.

"I don't know we checked all over and nothing was out of the ordinary." Buffy replied looking at the redhead.

"No!" Willow yelled.

"Willow." Angel said calmly.

"No he was there, he killed them." Willow said jumping off of Angel's lap and running out the door. Everyone ran behind her. Her whole body was shaking she didn't know what was going on, but he had been there. He killed her parents. She ran into her house and up to her parents' room. They were right there was no sign that anyone had been there. She dropped to her knees.

"Willow." Angel said kneeling beside her.

"I saw him." Willow whispered.

"We believe you." Cordelia said.

"What… what did he do with them?" Willow asked tears falling.

"I don't know." Xander answered.

"Why them?" Willow asked looking at her friends.

Angel picked her up and carried her out of the house. Once everyone was outside Giles spoke, "I think it would be best if none of you are alone at anytime. It seems he has followed you back. I don't know if it will be safe in just groups of two."

"Wherever we are staying you are coming with us. He'll get you, he got them." Willow sniffled.

"We can stay at my place. My parents are out of the country." Cordelia volunteered.

"Alright we will go and get what we need from our places. Buffy why don't you and Cordelia go and pack some clothes and the essentials for Willow?" Giles suggested.

"We'll be right back." Buffy replied as the two girls went back into the house.

"It's going to be alright Red. We will find this wanker and kill him." Spike promised.

"Why'd he follow us back here?" Xander asked.

"I don't know." Angel answered holding his girlfriend.

"Ok we got some clothes for you. Did you forget your black sweater at the cabin?" Buffy asked.

"No it's in my closet." Willow replied.

"It wasn't there. Everything was there but that." Cordelia said holding the bag.

"Maybe Amy came over and borrowed it." Willow answered taking her bag.

They were all at Cordelia's none of them were able to sleep. So they were sitting in the living room watching movies. Willow was curled up against Angel. All of a sudden they heard a noise from upstairs and all jumped.

"Ok not the only one that heard that." Xander commented.

"Let's go." Buffy said standing and walking to the stairs. They all walked up quietly and checked every room not finding anything. Angel and Willow's room was the last one they checked opening the door they saw the man from the woods sniffing Willow's clothes.

Angel let out a growl and the man looked up then jumped out the window. Buffy and Spike took off down the stairs and outside to catch him.

"What the hell was he doing?" Cordelia asked looking at the group.

"He was sniffing Willow's clothes. Why was he sniffing her clothes?" Xander asked.

"I… I don't know." Giles stumbled.

"He was getting her scent." Angel replied.

"What?" Willow asked looking at the vampire.

"I think he is trying to get your scent to track you." Angel replied.

"What? I… I thought he was human. He looked human didn't he? How…how and why is he trying to get my scent?" Willow asked nervously.

"I don't know we I think we need to do research because there is no way he was human." Angel answered.

"He's gone we didn't even see him." Buffy said walking into the room with Spike.

"Bloody git vanished." Spike grumbled.

"We should head to my place so we can check out my books." Giles recommended.

They walked out of Cordelia's house and headed to Giles's. Angel had his arm protectively around Willow. He didn't know what that thing was or why it was trying to get Willow, but he wasn't going to let anything happen to her.

The next two days were spent researching. They weren't having any luck finding anything on this demon. Willow was growing frustrated.

"I uh think I found something." Xander piped up.

"What?" Giles asked setting his book down.

"Um… it's a demon but can take form as a human. It feeds off of humans but only the ones that it has seen that were alone. They won't stop until they have uh…" Xander swallowed hard, "devoured its claim. They will eat whatever is connected to the claim."

They all sat their in silence letting the information sink in.

"So it won't stop until it has you know Willow?" Cordy asked nervously.

"Y-yeah," Xander replied looking at his best friend worry filled his eyes.

"Well we will just go out and kill it." Buffy stated.

"We can't." Spike said.

"Why?" Giles asked.

"The bloody thing vanishes. We looked for hours the night at the cabin. We couldn't find any trace of him." Spike answered.

"So we lure it out." Willow said.

"No." Angel replied shaking his head.

"This thing killed my parents I want it dead." Willow said looking at him.

"It's dangerous." Angel replied caressing her cheek, "I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Nothing will you will all be close." Willow responded looking at the group.

"How do we kill this thing anyway?" Buffy questioned.

"It doesn't say. I don't think anyone has ever been able to." Xander answered looking at the book.

"That's great." Cordelia said sarcastically.

"Come on guys. I am sure no one has ever had two vampires and a slayer trying to stop this thing." Willow reasoned.

"Willow something may go wrong. You may end up dying." Giles said taking his glasses off and cleaning them.

"Guys we all know we need to do this. I don't think we all want to be with each other 24/7 for the rest of our lives." Willow replied.

"I want to be with you 24/7." Angel said kissing her neck. He was scared something was going to happen to mess up the plan. He couldn't lose her.

Willow kissed his lips softly, "It's going to be alright I promise. Tomorrow night we finish this. We owe my parents that much."

"Alright Wills, but we are going to be close, and I mean really close." Buffy informed.

"I wouldn't want it any other way." Willow smiled at the slayer.

"Why don't we all get some sleep? We have a long night ahead of us tomorrow." Giles proposed.

"Sounds like a good idea." Spike nodded.

They all made up beds on the floor none of them really wanting to go back outside.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Angel whispered to the redhead.

"I have to." Willow answered looking into his eyes.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Angel declared.

"I know you're not." Willow said kissing him and snuggling against him.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The next day Willow, Xander and Cordelia were all walking around. The others were still tired and the vampires couldn't come out.

"Are you nervous about tonight?" Cordelia asked.

"Yeah, but I know you guys are going to be there." Willow answered.

"Hey can't let anything happen to my best bud." Xander added hugging his friend.

It was just before sunset when the teens started back to the ex-watchers when Willow was knocked to the ground.

"Willow!" Cordelia screamed when she saw the demon/man from the woods.

"Go and get everyone." Willow shouted. Cordelia took off for the apartment.

Xander knocked the demon off of the redhead and they both took off running. They made it to the cemetery closest to Giles's it was the plan for them to be there to kill the demon. The demon hit Xander knocking him into a tree. It stood there watching Willow, she was scared. This wasn't how this was supposed to go.

He jumped at her knocking her down and she screamed. The demon bent his head down and bit into her abdomen making Willow shriek in pain. There were two loud growls, and then the demon was pulled away from the redhead. She had tears streaming down her face, and Giles was at her side in a second.

"It's going to be alright we'll get you to the hospital soon." Giles said gently.

Buffy, Angel and Spike were all fighting the demon. It didn't know what hit him when Buffy pulled out a sword and sliced his head off. It dropped to the ground.

Xander was finally coming around he sat up rubbing his head then got to his feet walking over to the gang.

"Willow." Angel said rushing to her side.

"Hi." Willow replied giving him a shaky smile.

"Come on Red we got to get you to the hospital now. Xan you alright?" Spike asked.

"Yeah just a bump, I'm sorry Wills." Xander replied sadly.

"Hey you got him off of me. Don't be sorry." Willow scolded her best friend.

Angel carefully picked Willow up and cradled her in his arms.

"Told you I'd be ok," Willow stated.

"I know but you're still hurt." Angel countered.

"It's just a bite it'll heal." Willow reassured smiling at him.

Angel leaned down and kissed her, "I love you."

"I love you too." Willow replied resting her head on his shoulder.

The End


End file.
